08/06/2026
An interesting piece
There is a man at our junction who sells akara with his wife.
Every morning and evening, the wife does the frying while he attends to customers.
A lot of people used to call him lazy because they felt a man should be doing something "bigger" than helping his wife sell akara.
One day, a wealthy man in our area approached him.
He told him, "It's not proper for a man to be doing this kind of petty business with his wife. What are you passionate about? What would you like to do if you had the opportunity?"
The akara seller replied that he had always wanted to work in transportation and would be grateful if he could get a bus.
To everyone's surprise, the wealthy man bought him a bus.
The man was overjoyed.
He immediately started a school transport business. He approached parents in our estate and offered to take their children to and from school for a monthly fee.
Many parents agreed.
Every morning, he would go from house to house picking up children and taking them to school. In the afternoon, he would bring them back home safely.
Slowly, his life began to change.
Business was going well.
Then one day, I saw him back at the junction selling akara with his wife.
When I asked what happened to the transport business.
His answer shocked me.
He said the owner of the bus had taken it back.
According to him, the wealthy man later asked him to include his own children in the transport arrangement. The man agreed and charged him the same amount he charged every other parent.
At the end of the month, when it was time to pay, the wealthy man refused.
He told him, "Why should I pay? After all, I'm the one who bought the bus for you."
The driver explained that fuel, maintenance, and running costs were not free.
The man called him ungrateful and walked him out of his house.
Eventually, he stopped picking up the man's children.
Two weeks later, some boys allegedly came on the wealthy man's behalf, harassed him, and took the bus away.
And just like that, he was back at the junction selling akara with his wife.
Who was more wrong in this situation: the bus owner or the driver?
Was the akara seller right to charge the wealthy man like every other parent?
Please don't answer with emotions, be realistic with your answersππ
Β© Uju Ejiofor